'An Australian contactee - Beatriz Copello

Introduction

Recently my attention was drawn, by an overseas researcher, to a 2016 ebook titled 'A Call to the Stars' by Australian author Beatriz Copello. Up until that point, I must admit, I had not heard of the book.

The Smashwords website, carried the following synposis of the book.

'A Call to the Stars tells the fascinating experiences of Alicia (Nor her real name), a woman, who established a relationship with aliens. The experiences are told through a serious of interviews with a fictitious psychologist. Alicia studied psychology to assure herself that she was not mad, that she really had been abducted by extra-terrestrial beings who also communicated with her telepathically.

Alice (sic) after many years of studying became a psychologist and built a successful career. Having worked closely with other psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and other professionals no one ever doubted her sanity.

Alicia tells us about the nature of the aliens and their concerns about the way in which we treat our planet. Our destruction will, become a reality if we do not stop our wars and the causes of climate change. This (sic) messages commenced in 1967.

Alicia underwent a series of hypnosis regressions by the well known but sadly now deceased Leslie Bullock. He said: "I will always remember the first interview I had with a very charming, well dressed, obviously very intelligent woman who came along with an amazing story of a lifetime of having been contacted by extra-terrestrial beings. She had obviously come to the wrong person. I was a complete cynic about such things and had never read a book about the subject. I had been using hypnosis for over 50 years, and had been in full time practice as a professional hypnotist for more than 30 years. During 40,00 hours spent in personal consultations with clients with a wide range of problems, I had never encountered anything like this."

Who is Beatriz Copello?

The same Smashwords website has the following:

'Dr Betariz Copello is a psychologist, a poet and a fiction writer. Copello's poetry has been published in many journals and literary magazines. Her book of lesbian poetry Women Souls and Shadows, Bemac Publishing, 1992 was highly commended in the Wild and Wooley, 1993 awards. In November 1997 she received from the Australia Council, Literature Fund, and Emerging Writers Grant for Poetry. Her book of poetry Meditations At the Edge of a Dream was published by Interactive Publications - Glasshouse books, 2001, receiving excellent reviews. In 2003 she was awarded a Doctor of Creative Arts Degree (Creative Writing) from the University of Wollongong. Under the Gums Long Shade, her third book of poetry was published in 2008. Lesbian Love Lesbian Lives is her first book of short stories.'

I found she had also published Flowery Roots in 2016; Paso Prohibidos Bajola Glicina in 2016 and Forbidden Steps Under the Wisteria in 2017.

'Call to the Stars' was published on 16 January 2016; ISBN 978131164131; length 29,130 words.

Interestingly, the Wikipedia page  has 'A Call to the Stars' (translated into Chinese), Crown Publishing Company Ltd. Taiwan, June 1999. listed under the heading of 'Fiction'

Who was Leslie Bullock?

Les Bullock, Martin St James and Gil Boyne - source http://www.ahahypnotherapy.org.au/resources/hall-of-fame/#Leslie%20Bullock

The website of the Australian Hypnotherapists Association mentions Leslie Bullock. It states that Leslie Bullock was born on 12 October 1925 and passed away on 14 May 2010. He was a pioneer in the field of Australian hypnotherapy and pioneered the process of the use of hypnosis for assisting people quit smoking.

On another website, belonging to Leslie's son John I found mention of Leslie. John is a clinical hypnotherapist, based in Sydney, Australia. John writes:

'I grew-up in a family where hypnosis was the norm. My father, Les Bullock began practicing hypnosis professionally around 45 years ago and was one of Australia's pioneers in the field. Les specialized in helping people to give up smoking and the Hypnotherapy system he developed is one of the most well known with successful quitters in Australia. Sadly, Les passed away in 2010 at the age of 84.

What were Les's UFO interests?

 I consulted my digital copies of Australian UFO periodicals. In Volume 2 Number 3, 1995, of the Newsletter of the Australian UFO Abduction Study Centre, which I ran for three years in the mid 1990's, I found the following information about the UFO Experience Support Association of Sydney's 1995 conference which ran between 17-18 March 1995. panel discussion featured Ms Beatriz Copello (psychologist) and Mr Leslie Bullock (hypnotherapist.)

'Beatriz Copello commented on the psychological aspects of abduction and touched on her own experience. Mr Leslie Bullock talked about hypnosis and his trip to Melbourne to meet with Denise for a hypnotherapy session.'

In the forward to the book by Leslie Bullock, Bullock revealed that:

* After meeting the abductee he volunteered his services to a UFO organisation as a researcher/therapist

* He interviewed many,  he referred to as 'contactees.'

Who was Alicia Gonzalez?

I acquired a copy of the 2016 ebook, and searched it for clues which might reveal more of the identity of 'Alicia.' In the forward, Leslie Bullock mentions that the subject of the book:

* Studied for years at University to obtain a degree in Psychology

* Worked at one point for the Department of education in charge of a number of psychologists

* Had been acclaimed for her writings

* Got a grant from the Australian Arts Council

* Had two daughters.

He concluded his forward with the words (written before his death in 2010.)

'It is my professional opinion that the woman featured in this book has has a number of genuine experiences. I am grateful to Beatriz for giving me the opportunity to have had some part in this whole experience.'

More insights into Alicia come from 'A Call to the Stars' itself. Alicia:

* Was born in Argentina

* Mentions she has two daughters

* Alicia wrote poetry

* Alicia says she provides psychological support to a group of abductees in Sydney, The UFO Experience Support Association

* She first met Les Bullock in 1991

Beatriz:

*  Was acclaimed for her writings

* Received a grant from the Australian Arts Council at one point

* Obtained a degree in Psychology

* At the 1995 UFOESA conference in Sydney she commented on the psychological aspects of abduction and touched on her own experience

* In her 2003 thesis noted that she was/had been a public servant and was a mother

* Was born in Argentina.

It seems reasonable to conclude that the subject of the book 'Alicia' was in fact Beatriz Copello.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to a number of Australian UFO researchers who responded with information about the subject of this post.